Four-roll rolling mill



Jan 25, 1966 A. FORSTER FOUR-ROLL ROLLING MILL Filed Nov. 9, 3.955

INVENTOR. 14155197 Ffl/YSTE/Q Claims priority, application Switzerland November 22, 1954* The present invention relates to a four-roll rolling mill having two thin working rolls and two backing rolls of larger diameter which support the working rolls. The

nited States PatentO or, if necessary, heat the working rolls 7, 8 of the backthin working rolls must be laterally "supported against bending in a plane parallel to the direction of rolling, for which purpose there are various known means; In order to support the working rolls, beams, for instance, are arranged in front of the backing rolls in a plane parallel to the direction of rolling, or else supporting rollers are mounted in front of the backing rolls. Such means of support, however, render the working rolls inaccessible and difl'icult to inspect. The suggestion has also been made to support the working rolls with the aid of two tubular shells arranged concentrically to the backing rolls and secured to the latters hearings in such a way that the supporting surfaces of the two tubular shells can be adjusted to the workingrolls; .The tubular shells are rotatably mounted on rings of. the roll columns and have no stiffening effect on the latter; they can therefore only be used for small rolling mills of narrow rolling width, e.g. for the rolling of narrow metal strips. Where the rolling width is larger, these tubular shells offer too little resistance to the working rolls.

An object of the present invention is to provide a fourroll rolling mill in which the support for the working rolls is so designed that it can absorb maximum stresses. The invention is characterized by the fact that the means for supporting the working rolls are beams which are mounted on housings secured to the rolling mill columns and enclosing the backing rolls.

Other objects and advantages will ensue from the following disclosure taken together with. the drawing to which it refers.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example in the attached drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic partial perspective view with parts being shown in section of a rolling mill;

Fig. 2 is a partial vertical sectional view through the top and bottom backing roll, showing the housing part enclosing the latter; and

'Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the rolling mill.

The columns 1 of the rolling mill are interconnected by housings 2 and 3, which enclose the backing rolls 4 and 5. It is, of course, also possible for the columns and housings to form one single unit. For the purpose of supporting the working rolls 6 and 7 in the direction of rolling, beams 8 are adjustably' secured by screws 9 to the housings 2 and 3 parallel to the direction of rolling. The beams 8 form together a funnel-shaped cross-section. In place of screws 9, any other known means may, of course, be used for the adjustment of the beams 8. Thus, for instance, compression springs, cams, keys or even pistons actuated by a pressure medium, etc. may be provided. The beams 8 have insertable rails 11 which serve to support the working rolls 6 and 7 and consist of bearing material, such as, for instance, bearing metal, plastics, etc., so as to prevent the backing rolls from being pitted by the supporting rails. In order to cool ing rolls 4, 5, cooling oil, for instance soluble oil, or a heating medium can be passed through the space 12 between the housings 2 and 3 and the'backing rolls 4 and 5, thusat the same time ensuring lubrication between the rolls 6 or 7 and the rails 11.

Owing to the two columns 1 being interconnected by the housings 2 and 3 the rigidity of the entire rolling mill is substantially increased. The housings, which serve as a bearing for the supporting beams and are secured to the columns, provide, with little expenditure of material, a high degree of stability in the direction of rolling and permit the use of horizontally displaceable, funne1-' shaped supporting beams which allow vthe'materialbeing rolled to be inspected without obstruction.

It will thus be seen that a tour-roll rolling mill is provided, this mill having a pair of columns 1, a pair of spaced parallel backing rolls '4 and 5 extending between and rotatably carried by the columns '1, and a pair of parallel working rolls 6 and 7 located adjacent each other between and respectively in engagement with the backing rolls 4 and 5 'and being parallel to the latter. -In accordance with the present invention, a pair of elongated, substantially rigid, robust housing portions 2 and 3at least partially enclose the backing rolls 4 and '5 respectively, and extend between and are rigidly fixed to the columns 1 to formiwith the latter a strong structural framework These housing portions 2 and'S' supporting the rolls. each'have detachably pandadjustably fixed thereto a pair of beam means engaging front and rear'surfaces, respec which extendsbetween the working rolls. Each pair of beam means forms with the housing portion carrying the same a housing which together with the working roll engaged by the pair of beam means completely encloses a backing roll to provide a chamber which may be supplied With a fluid for heating or cooling the rolls. Also, the two pairs of beam means cooperate to form an entrance region to and an exit region from the working rolls, the entrance and the exit regions each being of a substantially funnel-shaped cross-section, so that the work is clearly visible up to portions thereof immediately adjacent the working rolls.

It can thus be seen that there has been provided according to the invention a rolling mill of the character de scribed which invention is directed to a pair of columns, a pair of spaced, parallel backing rolls extending between and rotatably' carried by said columns, a pair of parallel working rolls located adjacent each other between and respectively in engagement with said backing rolls and beingparallel thereto, and a pair of elongated, substantially rigid, robust housing portions at least partially enclosing said backing rolls, respectively, and extending between and being rigidly fixed to said columns to form with the latter a strong structural framework supporting said rolls, pairs of elongated beams, means adjustably and detachably connecting said beams to said housing portions for adjustably moving said beams against and away from said working rolls, said pairs of beams having bearing surfaces respectively engaging said pair of working rolls at front and rear faces thereof supporting said working rolls against movement in planes parallel to the rolling plane which extends between said working rolls, each pair of beams forming together with the working roll engaged thereby and the associated housing portion a chamber completely surrounding a backing roll, said chamber being adapted to retain a fluid medium for adchamber. 6 1 5 Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and it is intended that such obvious changes and modifications be embraced by the annexed claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A four-roll rolling mill comprising a pair of columns, a pair of spaced, parallel backing rolls extending between and rotatably carried by said columns, a pair of parallel working rolls located adjacent each other between and respectively in engagement with said backing rolls and being parallel thereto, and a pair of elongated, substantially rigid, robust housing portions at least partially enclosing said backing rolls, respectively, and extending between and being rigidly fixed to said columns to form with the latter a strong structural framework supporting said rolls, pairs of elongated beams, means adjustably and detachably connecting said beams to said housing portions for adjustably moving said beamsagainst and away from said working rolls, said pairs of beams having bearing surfaces respectively engaging said pair of working rolls at front and rear faces thereof supporting said working rolls against movement in planes parallel to the rolling plane which extends between said working rolls, each pair of beams forming together with the working roll engaged thereby and the associated housing portion a chamber completely surrounding a backing roll, said chamber being adapted to retain a fluid medium for adjusting the temperature of said working rolls and lubricating said backing rolls and said working-rolls in said chamber. a

2. A four-roll rolling mill comprising a pair of col umns, a pair of spaced, parallel backing rolls extending between and rotatably carried by said columns, a pair of parallel working rolls located adjacent each other between and respectively in engagement with said backing rolls and being parallelthereto, and a pair of elongated, substantially rigid, robust housing portions at least partially enclosing said backing rolls, respectively, and extending between and being rigidly fixed to said columns to form with the latter a strong structural framework supporting said rolls, pairs of elongated beams, means adjustably and detachably connecting said beams to said housing portions for adjustably moving said beams against and away from said working rolls, said pairs of beams having bearing surfaces respectively engaging said pair of working rolls at front and rear faces thereof supporting said working rolls against movement in planes parallel to the rolling plane which extends between said working rolls, each pair of beams forming together with the working roll engaged thereby and the associated housing portion a chamber completely surrounding a backing roll, said chamber being adapted to retain a fluid medium for adjusting the temperature of said working rolls and lubricating said backing rolls and said working rolls in said chamber, said pairs of beam means cooperating together to form entrance and exit regions for a workpiece, each of said regions having a funnel-shaped cross-section converging toward the working zone between said working rolls, so that a workpiece is clearly visible up to portions thereof immediately adjacent said working rolls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,621,284 Slick Mar. 15, 1927 1,892,933 Coryell Jan. 3, 1933 1,953,165 George Apr. 3, 1934 2,056,433 Matthews Oct. 6, 1936 2,685,807 Hudson Aug. 10, 1954 I FOREIGN PATENTS 713,348 Great Britain Aug. 11, 1954 914,001 Germany June 24, 1954 

